Easy Tropical Style Plants for Starting Your Garden!

Today’s video is all about the easy to grow, beautiful and exciting plants I’d recommend for beginners starting a colourful UK tropical style garden mainly focused on a bold summer display (small gardens, borders and containers included!) and comes from Linden Nurseries near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire (Ermine Street, Appleby, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN15 0BZ). The huge array of unusual and striking plants available at garden centres, nurseries and online these days can definitely be overwhelming and it’s hard to know what will grow well in your garden and how much care they may need. Today I look at the plants I'd begin with, whether you're looking to fill some border gaps to create a lush packed look this year or are eagerly planning next year's tropical garden adventure! Today it's all about the big leaves and bright colours and I mainly focus on Musa basjoo beginner hardy banana plants, Tetrapanax with HUGE leaves, colourful cannas, rapid Ricinus, some bonus foliage filler plants and then some great late summer to early autumn flower choices which will compliment them perfectly! Care tips are sprinkled in but as always, feel free to leave any questions in the comments below along with your suggestions for the tropical style plants you'd recommend to beginners to this exciting, fast growing and rewarding garden style.
High nitrogen Chempak fertiliser, rocket fuel for bananas and other big leaves: amzn.to/3L5Lzbh
6X slow release plant feed, great for feeding tropical style plants all summer: amzn.to/3YzkpPn
Miracle-Gro soluble fertiliser, get bigger tropical style plants (even in pots and containers) faster: amzn.to/3P0N8JT
Levington Tomorite feed, perfect for Cannas etc: amzn.to/3KHV7J2
(These are affiliate links so I get a tiny amount back from them which costs you nothing!)
Coming up next in this mini series are my plant choices for a UK exotic garden style, more great plants to combine with these tropical beauties so subscribe if you want even more exciting plant ideas! A big thanks to my local plant nursery Linden Nurseries for letting me film there (not a sponsored vid even if I sound like I'm on the shopping channel at some points!). If you can show them some love by visiting and maybe leave a review online once you’ve seen their huge range of amazing pots and lovely plants at fair prices I’m sure it will be appreciated!
0:00 Intro
0:30 Easy tropical style plants for UK gardens
1:53 Specimen Ensete & Musa basjoo hardy banana plants
4:46 Musa basjoo care tips, feeding and soil requirements
5:51 Beginner tropical plants - small Musa basjoo banana
6:18 Musa basjoo banana plant UK winter care
8:09 Tetrapanax papyrifer ‘Rex’ plants with huge jungle leaves
9:50 Tetrapanax winter care, pupping and planting tips
12:30 Colourful Cannas for jungle foliage, patterned leaves and late summer flowers
14:31 Canna winter care - lifting or leaving in the ground
15:46 Ricinus tropical style gap filling plants with
17:27 Colocasia mojito & more cool potted tropical style plants
20:01 Heucheras for colourful garden border leaves & pollinator friendly flowers
21:26 Bright, bold & hot colours for tropical garden flowers - Crocosmia & Dahlias
23:36 UK tropical style gardens - flowers, vegetables, annuals - anything goes!
If you enjoy my videos and would like to say thanks for the price of a coffee then please head over to my Ko-fi here, any kind donations would be appreciated and all money is put towards creating more exciting content: ko-fi.com/georgesjunglegarden

[@jacobwood3501]

The way you talk about tropical plants is infectious. After every one of your videos i want to spend the rest of the day working on my yard. I love that you included heucheras in the 'tropical' theme.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much, it's great to hear you enjoyed it and that it's making you want to get out there! Yes, I love the heucheras, such a useful plant and it's great to have something that doesn't need replacing every year around other permanent planting. I think grown en masse with a strong colour scheme and some big tropical bedding like Ricinus and the Ensete etc they'd look really cool!

[@Xc31]

My thoughts exactly! I'm getting so hyped by these videos I've just bought 4 Musa Basjoo (all 4 for €20, couldnt resist at that price) and I dont even have a garden. Hopefully will have one soon though, or I'll have a jungle balcony 😅

[@jacobwood3501]

@@Xc31 I know what you mean. I have a basjoo, an ensette, and a dwarf cavendish along with multiple colocasias and amorphophalus. That will crowd my office as soon as winter comes.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hahah fantastic! I'm sure four of them together will look really cool! (Wherever you're able to grow them...)@@Xc31

[@MercylifeintheUk]

Hi, I’m from the Philippines, am very grateful that these tropical plants are loved and cared for here in the UK. These plants for us are just ordinary and can grow massively everywhere as they like humid and hot weather. Thank you for showing this video, I am also interested in planting/ gardening.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi and thanks for stopping by! Yes, it’s definitely a style of gardening that’s increasingly popular over here - very different to the traditional cottage or formal gardens. I guess people always enjoy experimenting and trying something unusual and I do wonder what most of the UK growers would grow if they were in your location! Probably even more jungly plants!

[@alien11able]

I left my Colocasia outside in the garden and they survived. My winters can get really cold. It was -2 F one night last winter and in the single digits for more that a week. But now they are 6 to 7 ft tall and I enjoy standing under their large leaves! I'm in the American south and the weather is a subtropical hot and humid environment.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Awesome, that's great to hear! Yeah, you definitely have the temperature advantages over us when it comes to a lot of tropical plants. Similar potential lows but winters are so long, cool and wet here that a lot of plants just don't make it if left in the ground and we don't get the consistently hot and humid summer temperatures either. It makes your part of the world interesting for growing a lot of these plants doesn't it, challenging winters but then the potential for huge summer growth!

[@carollangman3680]

Just found you and subscribed...I have a blank canvas in my smaller garden and so excited to have a go at a tropical garden...I have been watching your channel and have been so inspired...I live in the Midlands and have learned alot from you

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much, I'm pleased to hear you're enjoying my vids and apologies for my delayed reply! Good luck with your tropical garden plans, I bet you're counting down the days until spring!

[@user-nu1hz1mt7s]

grow a big beard George !! i think you would make an ideal replacement for DAVID BELLAMY !! lol your enthusiasm is brill .. take care buddy keep up the good work..

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Haha thanks, pleased you enjoyed it! I can't say I have the genetics for growing a majestic beard but maybe one day haha!

[@missdimples1982]

Another fantastic video George

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much! The next vid in the series is out today then back to my garden for some vids 😃

[@shineamenmbs3107]

A lot of beauties there! Heucheras display is gorgeous! You must be so busy, so short comment only! Take care George.🌿

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

There are indeed Bernard and the Heucheras are certainly a colourful sight indeed. Things are busy but aiming to have more regular vids starting over the next couple of weeks. I appreciate you stopping by as always and all the best!

[@shineamenmbs3107]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you, take care mon cher George!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@shineamenmbs3107 Thank you Bernard, you too.

[@etihadwizards]

Just made the 50 mile trip to Linden Nurseries for the first time, what an amazing place, picked up a tetrapanax Rex and a Ricinus 😁

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Awesome, it's a little gem of a nursery isn't it! Nice one, great choices! I don't get paid anything to advertise them haha but the more people buy exotics, the more interesting and unusual plants they'll be able to offer at the right money!

[@etihadwizards]

Unbelievable place and the prices are very good

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Fantastic, I'm pleased to hear it was worth the trip for you!@@etihadwizards

[@DJSupaflyguy]

I’m guilty of asking you to I.D. tetrapanax 😂 👌👏

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Haha yes, no problem! I don't mind giving my (amateur!) input and understand the desire to hunt something down but always try to explain that papyrifer are still cool plants!

[@Xc31]

As someone else said, your energy is contagious! Really feeling the plant love ❤

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks, that's really kind of you to say so! It's great to hear it comes across well and I appreciate you watching.

[@Xc31]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden most welcome! Keep them coming!

[@db6625]

Another excellent video, thanks George. Looks like I’ll be joining the queue to Linden Nurseries soon😊

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks haha, yes, I imagine there'll be queues for a very specific group of plants!

[@wesleyhackney]

Good stuff. I too love Mojotos and on summer I submerse mine in a larger pot full of water and they love it.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks! That's how I've grown some of my Colocasia here this summer too. When it's warm, they absolutely love water, they definitely grow best sat in it!

[@samanthalonghurst-howes1465]

Great video again George. As I mentioned in the comments of your last video I love the Canna’s but so many beautiful and interesting plants spotlighted in this video. Can’t wait for your next instalment. Xxx

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much! Yes, they're lovely aren't they - beautiful, bold colours. The next one will be up soon!

[@irismoles9369]

Great plants Thankyou George

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Iris, apologies I missed this comment but thank you very much and I appreciate you watching as always!

[@johnsandham1415]

Great quality video as always George

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much John, I appreciate it!

[@Shakespearept]

Fun vid. Impressive selection of plants.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks, I'm pleased you enjoyed it! Plenty of plants for sure!

[@tamsineh]

Really great video as usual George, and really helpful having that overwintering info for first year and onwards. I put some different nasturtium in this year which I grew from seed. Super cheap and easy and now the pop of orange and yellow flowers plus lovely variegated trailing foliage....looks great

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much! Yes, I wanted to go back to basics as I get back into more regular vids again. That's great, I'm a fan of using them as you know and you'd struggle to find an easier or cheaper plant that fits in so perfectly!

[@richardgoodge7666]

Love these videos great work

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Richard, I wanted to go back to basics for a few (and buy me time to get on with tidying my own garden up for a video here after a break!). I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed it!

[@dmariemc9510]

Great video George.. what a great nursery some beautiful plant’s amazing prices as well. I don’t know of 1 nursery in the Wirral I could walk into an buy plants like this. I would buy them all 🙌

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much, yes, happy to share these lovely plants at the right money - we're definitely lucky to have it down the road. Hopefully somebody starts offering a similar range in your area! And yes, buying them all is always the temptation...

[@leishalomozik87]

Anather helpfull video george, i cant wait to visit this nursery.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you, they're always getting more and more stock in!

[@leishalomozik87]

@GeorgesJungleGarden visited today, really nice nursery got a couple of things, will be going again. Thanks George.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Amazing, I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed it! It's a lovely friendly place and it's great to see they're getting more unusual plants in too.@@leishalomozik87

[@thecornishbiker9323]

Just brought that red cactus dahlia yesterday . Great video again George 👏

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and nice one, great choice! I don't really have enough sunny spots for a lot of dahlias but I'd certainly grow some more if I did!

[@thecornishbiker9323]

Ive left mine in pots so i can move them around to chase the remaining sunshine 🌞

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one, sounds like a great idea!@@thecornishbiker9323

[@gilliansmyth7167]

Can we see more of your garden.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

You will indeed, I'll be filming later this week!

[@teekandy]

I wish we had a shop with these kinda plants in germany 😩

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hopefully you get some soon, exotics and 'tropical style' planting really is getting popular around a lot of garden centres here.

[@twright6478]

george have you seen large palm trees tropical backyard sint -niklass, belgium stunning

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, apologies I missed this comment and thanks for the recommendation! I haven't seen that unless it's Dimi's garden here on KZbin? Awesome palms if so and impressive winter preparations.

[@shauntromans2404]

Hi have you tried fennel? They get taller and thicker stems that are blue, green, every year feathery leaves and delicate yellow flowers they look really good growing up through the foliage mine have got up two metres in hight this year.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Shaun, great idea and they're certainly a great fit when it comes to foliage and colour. I haven't tried any in our new garden yet but planted a young giant fennel in spring so we'll see if that takes off, fingers crossed!

[@roguedungeondelver5738]

The ideas for a warm colour style garden really inspired me for a Hawaii style bed. My question related to this, I have a Kniphopfia Uvaria large regular red hot poker in sun baked area, no shade all day. Adjacent to this poker ive planted two Rudbeckia Goldsturn, my question is will the poker be fine with this or should I worry about them crowding the rudbeckias out. Thanks George. Poker plant 2 to 5 ft high, Rudbeckia 2 to 3 feet high.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi and that sounds cool - I could see the style really working well with these kind of plants. As for your question, both plants should do well in those conditions. In terms of them potentially affecting each other, I guess it depends on the proximity really. I grow a lot of plants touching each other without problems but it's never a bad idea to quickly google plants to get an idea of their mature spread and whether that works for the positioning. Worst case you could move the Rudbeckia a bit further away but in a full sun area they're unlikely to shade the Kniphofia out.

[@roguedungeondelver5738]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks George I've planted a nice dwarf Poker plant to go with the border and some Inca Lilies to make life easier. Thank you for the help.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one and no worries. Hopefully they settle in well and put on a great display next year!@@roguedungeondelver5738

[@cinosechizen]

Have a musa , dicksonia and japonica whichgrows great on my garden, I was inspired by your tropical garden and trying to build one here on my back yard can you suggest a winter-hardy evergreen that loves the afternoon sun during summer? Live in Ireland by the way. Thanks for sharing always

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi and thanks, what style of evergreen do you like (bamboo / big leaves / colourful foliage etc.) and what size were you wanting to get it to?

[@cinosechizen]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I am from the Philippines which is why I love tropical plants. Like what I have mentioned above started with those and had a few heucheras some small ferns and a few bamboo. Also, have a few Prunus and Japanese maple trees. Really love those Banana trees in your garden, but not familiar with the actual good hardy one. I do not have space with a big banana plant inside the house so I was wondering if there is a banana plant that can handle cold winter or can be potted on a big ceramic container. As for small tropical plants, all the plants that I know can't handle winter cold days. I just want like a bit of colour even in winter especially here in Ireland it's always grey during winter days. Anyway really love your channel really learned a lot. Looking forward on buying new plants this spring for my garden, I want it to be a bit of random jungle like :)

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi, apologies for the delayed reply, it’s fascinating to hear about your background and how it’s influenced your garden! Musa basjoo is the hardy banana you’re looking for and in milder areas it shouldn’t need wrapping most winters once it gets established. A great plant to enjoy all through summer without needing to bring it in. When it comes to winter colour and interest, like with the Heucheras and bamboo, it’s all about creating a tropical style effect with tougher evergreen plants. Do you grow many ferns?

[@PaulConnor100]

Keep up the great work George the Ensete's are beautifull in full sun mine is 2 .5 ft now but maybe need to feed em' more 😂

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thank you very much and apologies I missed this comment! They're certainly beautiful with the light behind them but it's not really been the best year for them time round, mine haven't grown as well this summer. A bit more feed will certainly help next year though!

[@jimmyalvinewart6361]

Great video George. It is a shame, Linden Nursery do not have a website or an option where they can send plants by post. I looked everywhere and I could not find anything

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Jimmy! Yes, it's just not that sort of place unfortunately, it's family run and they're more than busy most of the year just with local collections so I understand it from their point of view - going mail order brings it's own complications and challenges. But yes, it would be great if a lot of these plants were more widely available online at the right money!

[@OssyDL]

Wish our garden centres round here was like that your lucky to find a trachycarpus in the local ones 😂 bit confused about the tetrapanax as iv had pups from the same plant some with deep cut leaves some not so deep some very lime green with deep cut leaves. Thought it was just pot luck how they grew?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Haha yes, there's other garden centres like that around here too but also bigger ones with exotics but garden centre prices. As for tetrapanax, 'Rex' is definitely a selected form but there's variation and I know I've had some that are more divided but 'ginger' and others that are more silvery but less divided so it's presumably a sliding scale of characteristics. When you see a good size Rex, maybe a few years old, it's very obvious but they're all cool plants to me!

[@petermessenger6898]

Random comment George but how’s your fire pit coming along. Watched your filming of it then it just seemed to dry up

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Well Peter, lets just say that having a baby and other factors have made progress a bit tricky, but I've done what I can and there might be just be an update coming within the next couple of weeks! I've been trying to get it filmed since about May haha but I've made the time to sort it now!

[@petermessenger6898]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I guessed you were extremely busy, as you say, especially with the baby. I just found it extremely interesting and follow your good self, Yorkshire Kris and Tropical Plant addict and soak up your knowledge like a sponge. Keep up the good work George you’re an inspiration.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@petermessenger6898 Thank you very much Peter, that's really kind of you and I'm pleased you get so much out of my vids. I'm looking forward to getting them made more consistently again very soon.

[@mrchuffy6535]

Excellent content as always George, i bought one of those tetrapanax off the lorry when it arrived and i did doubt they was t-rex but its going really well about double the size of the ones that stayed in pot. Quick question and ignore if this plant comes up in your third part but what is going on with the chamerops out the back of the greenhouse there, they stand about six foot in pots but have incredibly long uncharacteristic fronds. We are tempted because of the shape but arent sure its a good thing that they arent *bushy* thanks again

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and I appreciate the support as always! I can't blame you on the Tetrapanax, my suspicion is they aren't the Rex form BUT, they will still size up rapidly and be cool tropical style plants. As for the Chamaerops, they will feature in the next vid (once I've edited it!) but they're stretched because they're greenhouse grown, so it's likely the new growth will be more compact. They're still lovely healthy plants though.

[@mrchuffy6535]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks yeah I thought as much with the Chamerops which put me off buying one, if your saying they are healthy I guess it doesnt actually matter and they will fill a space I badly need something in! Cheers George

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Personally I'd rather start off with a slightly smaller / cheaper plant but for instant impact they certainly look cool and they're green and full of foliage! @@mrchuffy6535

[@andredyason2145]

I have left mettalica in the ground the last 2 winters. I lost most of it in the minus 10 I had despite mulching heavily. A few bits survived but it's been a slow recovery. I'll definitely keep a back up in the greenhouse from now on. Gaoligongensis fared best out of all of them.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Sorry I missed this comment and that's interesting to hear thanks. I'll likely stick with my advice of Pink China & gaoligongensis in the ground and lifting metallica then but it's good to have the knowledge from other growers and I'm a fan of keeping back up plants in the polytunnel here too. Thanks for your input and I hope they fare better this winter!

[@Margaret-hr3si]

I can't find them on the internet

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Margaret, it's a small family-run nursery so they don't have a website etc currently. Sorry if you live a good distance away but it was very helpful of them to let me in and film some of their plants and hopefully give you some ideas for your local nurseries and garden centres!